Catch for file-cabinets



l GATGEFOR PILE GABINETS. No. 433,997. Patented Aug. 12, 1890.

UNITED STATES lVILFRED I. OHMER,

PATENT Ormes.

OF DAYTON, OHIO.

CATCH FOR FILE-CABINETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of -Letters Patent No. 433,997, dated August12, 1890.

Application led March 13, 1890.

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILFRED I. OHMER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Catches forFile-Cabinets,of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad thereinto the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in gravitypawls for sliding doors of iilecasesllIyiinprovements have reference tocombining a lift attached to a sliding door with a gravity-pawl formedin one piece. They also have reference to combining a frame secured to asliding door and adapted to receive a designating-card and havingaliftintegral thereon, and also having lugs on the frame which carry agravity-pawl having a downward extension to engage a portion of the caseand support the sliding door, and having also a spur proj ect-ingoutside to manipulate said pawl, and have reference to other points ofdetail hereinafter brought out and explained.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andon which like reference-letters indicate corresponding parts, Figure lrepresents a front elevation of my device; Fig. 2, a rear view thereof;and Fig. 3, a vertical section on the line x 0c of Fig. 2, showing itsrelation to a tile-case, also in section.

The letter A designates a file-case having a sliding door B, to which isfastened by screws or otherwise a frame O, adapted to hold and expose toview a card designating the contents of one division ofthe said case andpreferably inserted in the said frame by sliding into a recessed portiontherein, that secures it by the edges, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Thisframe has a lift D, projecting therefrom and formed integrally with thesame, extending, preferably, from the lower` portion of the frame, asshown, and used for raising the said sliding door by catching the fingerunder it in the usual way. Directly above the lift, and preferably onthe rear side of the said frame, is pivotally mounted on axle carried byears or lugs e e or otherwise a pawl E,hav

the said lift.

ino a downward extension F convenientl Serial No. 343,818. (No model.)

broadened to give a good bearing-surface and enlarged to preserve anormally vertical position 4by the weight thereof. An opening or slot Gin the said frame allows a projection of spur II on the upper part' ofthe said pawl to project through the said slot and extend convenientlyover the said lift. The size of the said spur is not so great as tooverbalance the downward portion F,which thus normally sustains it in anelevated position at the upper end of the said slot and in convenientreach of the thumb when the finger is under or let into the door, sothat the shelves of the.

ycase may be in close proximity to the doors and yet be clear of anyaccidental engagement with the pawl. Thus only the compartment opened isexposed to the entrance of dust during the temporary opening of thesame.

The action of the device is as follows: The forefinger is placed underthe lift and the sliding door is raised till the bottom of the extensionF is higher than the next shelf above thc compartment or compartments tobe opened. down upon the spur II, causing the said eX- tension of thepawl to tly upward and inward. The door is lowered till the pawl bearson the shelf, and thus holds the door up after the hand is removed. Thespur H is then in its lowest position and bears against the bottom ofthe slot and forms a stop for the pawl. One or more doors may besupported by the pawl that is in action when used in a series ofvertically-sliding doors, all in the same plane, and in this case onlythe pawl of the lowest compartment open is actuated by the thumb, whileall the others preserve their normal position away from the shelves, dueto gravity. lVhen the door is to be lowered, all that is necessary isto. raise the door by the lift, so that the pawl can drop into itsrecess and out of engagement with the shelf it was bearing upon and thenlower the door to its proper position, thus closing the compartment. Inthe case of a series of doors resting upon the one whose pawl isactuated, the release -of this pawl will allow all the other doors todescend also. Thus it will be observed that by one simple action of thethumb ou the pawl of The pawl is preferably recessed The thumb is thenpressed lightly IOO the door lifted the door is held in the desiredelevated position by the pawl thereof, which automatically disengagesitself by the action of gravity when the door is raised slightly andthen lowered to its closed position without any action of the thumb inthe whole operation, except a slight downward pressure on the spur ofthe pawl to cause the extension F to iiy upward and inward in order toengage the shelf.

'I/Vhile I have described my device as ap plied to the sliding door of atile-case, I do not wish to be understood as limiting` myself to thisparticular form or construction.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Il. In a tile-cabinet, thc combination,witha sliding door and anadjacent portion of the case, of a gravity-pawl having a downwardextension and a projecting spur formed in one piece and pivoted in thesaid door so as to engage the said adjacent portion and support the saiddoor.-

2. In a tle-cabinet,the combination, with a sliding door and an adjacentportion of the said caseot` a pivoted gravity-pawl having a downwardextension to bear upon the said adjacent portion when raised by a spurthat normally occupies an elevated position on the said pawl, and meansto secure said pawl in its pivotal position in said door.

3. In a iile-cabinet,t11e combination, with a sliding door and anadjacent portion of the case, of a frame adapted to hold a card andhaving a lift formed integrally thereon, and also having a slot in theframe near said lift, and a gravity-pawl in one piece pivoted in thesaid slot and adapted to engage said portion of the case and support thesaid door.

. L1. In a tile-cabinet, the combination,with a sliding door, of a frameadapted to hold and expose a card and havinga lift formed integrallythereon, and also having ears, and a gravity-pawl pivoted between thesaid ears and having a downward extension to support the door and alsoan upward spur projecting outside of the frame to manipulate said pawl.

5. In a catch, the co1nbination,with a frame adapted to hold and exposea card and having lugs to form pivot-supports, of a pawl pivoted betweensaid lugs and having a gravitating end to engage a fixed object and anormally-elevated end adapted to bein ani pulated by the hand.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a lift for doors, consisting of asingle piece of metal provided with an index display-opening and a pawlpivoted thereto.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILFRED I. OHMER. XVitnesses:

E. J. FINKE, W. B. ANDERSQN.

